Sgt. Kory Melancon said campus patrols are the most important part of day-to-day police work, but he has been training for more intense scenarios since April.As part of the LSU Police Department’s new high-risk warrants team, Melancon and eight other officers trained in special weapons and tactics to prepare for potentially life-threatening situations.The nine-man team, still in the training phase of deployment, is modeled after Special Weapons and Tactics units from across the state. “We’ve always needed something like this on campus,” Melancon said. “After seeing other teams like ours, this will be beneficial for the University.”The unit was first outlined last semester to serve warrants to dangerous suspects positioned in unfamiliar structures. But the training should carry over if the unthinkable happens and campus is threatened by a riot or a gunman, said LSUPD Chief Lawrence Rabalais.”We’re going to do whatever we can do to keep that from happening,” Rabalais said. “You can try to fathom every scenario possible and train for that, but there will always be those scenarios no one expected.”   The team’s members were patrol officers first, but the chance to participate in advanced police work was too good not to take. LSUPD decided on three firearms instructors, a crisis negotiator, two officers from the canine unit, two members of the plain-clothes Crime Interdiction Unit and a patrol officer.Melancon, one of the firearms instructors and the designer of the rifle range lesson plan, said most of the team was unskilled with assault rifles before training began.But he said the team progressed this summer after weeks of precision and movement shooting courses.”At this point, I would trust anyone on the team to make the right decision in a pressure situation,” Melancon said. “The shooting parts, we have down.”Other scenarios will require a little more work.”For a simple mission, we have no problem,” Rabalais said. “When it gets to something complex, like clearing a multi-story building, I would be apprehensive and ask the city to help us.”The team trained in a St. Gabriel facility throughout the summer. They dedicated hours to  classroom study and tactical courses at least four days a month.Helmets, bulletproof vests, gas masks, assault rifles, shotguns and additional special equipment adds an extra 60 to 70 pounds to an officer and requires serious physical training, Rabalais said. As the team becomes more skilled, they will start training with Baton Rouge SWAT.Melancon said week-to-week training will slow down as football season makes it harder for officers to find time off to train.It may be months before the team is fully prepared to deploy, Rabalais said.”It’s not something you want to rush because it’s a life or death situation sometimes,” Rabalais said. “I’d rather wait another six months and make sure once they’re ready — they’re truly ready.”Some of the equipment is still missing — most notably less-than-lethal “simunition.”Concussion grenades, bean bag weapons and tear gas are still on order and should arrive in a few months, Rabalais said.—–Contact Adam Duvernay at [email protected]